Sarah Lake, an artist who has captivated our attention over the past year, is a familiar name to many. With a significant social media following and impressive recent releases, her music straddles the line between traditional and modern country sounds. However, the road she took to Music City was anything but ordinary. Her journey, filled with unique twists and turns, is a story that is sure to pique your interest. Read on to delve deeper into Sarah Lake’s journey and her music.
Montreal to Nashville
Sarah Lake’s journey to Music City was a series of stops, including a notable American Idol Season 4 appearance. Her song ‘To Alabama’ made many assume she was from there, but she clarified, ‘I’m originally from Montreal, Canada. When I was ten, my family and I moved to North Carolina. We have a little nest in Alabama where we go to unplug. That’s where my love for Alabama comes from.’
Sarah Lake’s musical journey began in childhood and shows no signs of slowing down. She reminisces, “I started singing in musical theatre and other activities at a young age. At my 10th birthday party, we had a friendly singing competition. My song choice was ‘New York, New York.’ It was a pivotal moment for me. I remember hitting the high notes, and everything felt different. I felt this was my calling. This need to sing led me to American Idol and eventually to New York. It was there that I met my husband, and about seven years ago, our family relocated to Tennessee.“
Each stop along Lake’s path has shaped her as a person and influenced her as a songwriter. Reflecting on her diverse background, she shares, “I consider myself incredibly fortunate to have experienced life in various places. My life has given me different perspectives, which I bring to my storytelling. My parents, who are from England, and my experiences instilled a love for different cultures. It certainly was an interesting way to grow up. From a songwriting perspective, I find joy in incorporating these parts of me into my music.“
Sarah Lake: The Songwriter
Sarah Lake has been singing for many years, but songwriting is an art that came later for the Montreal native. Lake said, “I met my husband in New York, and he was putting together a lot of tracks. He is a producer and a drummer. He started a music curation company where he put playlists together for hotels, restaurants, and retail. So, he was building catalogs of tracks, and I ended up writing to his tracks. It was untraditional but an excellent way to open up. I always sang in bands during high school and college but never wrote. I would only develop the melodic parts after the song was written.”
Sarah Lake would easily fall in love with songwriting once she started. She continued, “All of this led to me writing on my piano and then in the more organic sort of way. Then my BMI rep in New York, after listening through everything, said I should go to Nashville. He thought the songwriting community would be perfect for me, and he was right. I fell in love with it, like everyone does, because it’s such a beautiful, creative community. It’s another part of my journey. Songs are like sculptures that are waiting to be cut out. Songs are already there, so we must find and make them right.”
The Beauty of Co-writing
Like many songwriters, Sarah Lake was new to co-writing when she arrived in Music City. The art of co-writing is just one aspect that makes the music community in Nashville so unique. The singer/songwriter said, “Having someone with different perspectives and experiences to bounce ideas off helps get to the core of what you want to say in a song. There are so many talented writers here. There is always something to learn from someone else regarding the creative process. The collaboration makes this town so beautiful because there is a never-ending engine of creativity. The song is king, and the craft of creating songs is exceptional here. There isn’t any place like it.”
Sarah Lake Takes a Look Back
Sarah Lake has had several pivotal moments that have led her to where she is in her career. She took a moment to reflect on what prompted her to audition for American Idol and years afterward. Lake said, “The band I played in during college dissolved after one of our percussion players passed away in a terrible accident with another one of our best friends. I wanted to keep doing music, but I needed to figure out how to go about it. I had played in a couple of cover bands, but I knew if I did the show, it was an opportunity that would propel me to the next thing. If I could make it through the masses of people, I could do it. It was a wild experience, and Carrie Underwood was my roommate at Idol. I made it to the top 20.”
Sarah Lake left North Carolina after her run on Idol and talked about the next stop on her journey: New York City. She said, “After American Idol, I moved to New York. My friend, who passed away, his mom, was living there and invited me to come live with her. She often traveled, so many times I would be there by myself watching my season of American Idol finish out. Here I was in New York with no money, crashing at her place and eating hummus or whatever I could afford. I am in this huge city alone. I didn’t know anyone and thought, what am I doing? But people would recognize me on the train, and my picture was in US Weekly. It was a wild experience, but I am proud of myself for taking this giant leap of faith. I tend to do this in my life.”
Leaving No Stone Unturned
Each choice and experience leads us to where we need to go. For Sarah, eventually, that would be Nashville. Lake reflected, “When we try to live out our purpose, it sometimes takes these wild turns. It’s worth it, but you go and figure it out. I want to unturn every stone with my music and share it with as many people as possible. Moving to Nashville was another stone to unturn. My husband is from Brooklyn and a New Yorker through and through. People said you are taking Ernie to Nashville? Even though he built his entire career in New York, we felt pulled to Nashville. It’s wild when I think about the moves I’ve made, but it makes for great experiences and, at the same time, always moving forward.”
The Latest Music from Sarah Lake
In the past two months, Sarah Lake has released an EP titled “Soul Shaker” and her latest single, “Adios.” In the music industry today, music is coming every six weeks for the artists who can do that. The idea is to push as much content out in hopes of a song going viral and grabbing everyone’s attention. Lake said, “I released the EP in April, and it was fun to do a body of work because it’s been single-driven for so long. When I spoke to RPM about doing an EP, it was very exciting because that’s what the DSPs seek. But in the world of constant content and consumption, I am in the game of releasing music when I can and consistently.”
“Adios” was released on May 24, 2024. The song was written by Sarah, Ernie Lake, and Keesy Timmer. Ernie Lake also produced the single. Lake described the song as a “fun, summer breakup song.” She continued, “I wanted to do something light following the EP. The EP is more introspective at times, but there are some fun ones there, too. “Adios” is a song for the summer. It’s been fun doing content for it. I hope people enjoy it, play it on their boats and at the beach, wherever they are having fun with their friends.”
For Those New to Sarah Lake
If you are new to Sarah’s music, here are a few things she wants you to know about her. The singer/songwriter said, “The writing process is magical, and performing on stage is my favorite. There is nothing better than creating a song out of nothing and being able to share it. I also love writing in different styles. My music can range from a more American feeling to pop country, so I identify as an indie country. My music falls in between, and I love it all.”
Lake describes what she feels is her purpose as a songwriter. If I can help people through what they are going through in life, that makes me feel good. I’ve experienced a lot of grief and a lot of joy, and I love to communicate that through my songs. I am incredibly grateful to be able to live out my purpose by writing and sharing music with my fans. As writers, we’re communicators, and it’s a heavenly thing that we can craft songs that help people in their lives.”
My Thoughts
Sarah Lake is an authentic, genuine talent. Although her journey has taken her on a wild ride, Lake has always retained sight of her purpose and ultimate goal. I, for one, am looking forward to seeing what comes next for Lake and her music. Follow Lake’s journey on social media, and until next time, check out “Adios” as we say adios.
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